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Summary

Palk, Gerard and Johnson, Lyn and Pollard, Gail (1997). Community conferencing in Queensland Juvenile Justice Program. Queensland, Australia: Department of Families, Youth and Community Care

Community conferencing for juvenile offenders began in Queensland in 1997. This report covers the legislation in Queensland behind community conferencing. Three pilot projects are described, including information on project evaluation, data collection about actual conferences, project outcomes, and participant responses (with respect to accountability, reintegration, and recidivism). Two common concerns about the program are addressed – victim participation, and fair agreement outcomes for offenders. Future considerations for implementation of community conferencing are recognized. They relate to pre-conference preparation, conference convening, and ongoing monitoring of outcomes.

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